Shuffle board game device



March 23, 1965 P. PLENTIS 3,174,752

SI-IUFFLE BOARD GAME! DEVICE Filed Oct 5, 1962 INVENTOR P5725? PA [N775 United States Patent This invention relates to game devices and in particular to a shuttle board having lanes disposed at an angle relative to one another leading from spaced play ends converging at a common rebound end bumper on equal angles so that a game piece projected in on one lane rebounds off the bumper into the other lane as a lineal extension of the one lane at the same angulation.

Game devices and shuttle boards have been employed in the prior art employing rebound bumpers, however, the several devices of the prior art do not have paired lanes angled relative to one another on equal angles converging at a common rebound end so that it is difiicult to project a game piece on one lane relative to the other lane.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the invention is to provide a shufiie board which has paired lanes disposed at an angle to one another converging at a common rebound end preferably with the axis of one lane leading back on the axis of the other lane on equal angles at the rebound end so that a person may aim and project a game piece on one lane and rebound it off the rebound bumper into the other lane on the same angulation as the game piece was first projected in the one lane.

An object of the invention is to provide a device having lanes and a rebound end so integrated that a person may accurately aim a game piece in one lane for rebounding into the other lane.

An object of the invention is to provide separated or divided play ends on each lane for initially projecting a game piece and for tabulating score so that the projection of game pieces in one lane is not interfered with by the scoring in the other lane.

An object of the invention is to provide angulated lanes on a game board converging at a common rebound end thereby using a common portion of the board .for both lanes to save space, material, and expense.

An object of the invention is to provide outer side bumpers over at least a portion of the outer side edges of the game board for rebounding game pieces singly and in combination with the rebound bumper.

An object of the invention is to provide inner side bumpers adjacent the inner sides of the board for rebounding game pieces singly and in combination with the outer side bumpers and rebound bumper.

An object of the invention is to provide a platform below the board raising the board thereabove so that misprojected game pieces may slide off the board adjacent "the scoring end and be collected on the platform.

seen in FIG. 2 taken on the line 3-3 thereof.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the device seen in FIG. 2 taken on the line 4-4 thereof; and

3,,l'i4fl52 Patented Mar. 23, 1865 FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of FIG. 2 taken on the line 55 thereof.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the game device disclosed therein to illustrate the invention comprises a board iii having a first lane 11 and a second lane 12 disposed at an angle to each other and converging and merging in a common surface portion 13 at a rebound end 14 over which rebound bumper 15 is superposed.

Each lane 11 and 12 has a separate spaced apart playscoring end 17 and 18 respectively. The axis and lines parallel thereto of each lane, such as lane '11, lead from its playing end '17 to the rebound bumper 15 and back along the other lane 12 towards its scoring end 18. The axis of each lane 11 and 12 preferably converge at the rebound end 14 and the bumper 15 on equal angles. Preferably they intersect at the bumper 15. It is understood therefore that lines parallel to the axis of each lane also converge at the rebound end bum-per at equal angles. Thus a game piece projected along the axis or at an angle to the axis of one lane, such as the lane 1-1, will rebound off the bumper 15 into the other lane, such as thereon and relative thereto as it was initially projected on the first lane. This enables a player to aim and propel a game piece on one lane so as to project it into the other lane on an accurate basis as the angulation after the rebound is the same relative to the other lane as it was relative to the lane on which it was initially propelled.

More particularly .a preferred embodiment of the device comprises the board 10 resting on a platform 20 with its surface elevated thereabove and includes a side bumper 21 adjacent an outer edge 22 of the lane 11 and a side bumper 23 adjacent an outer edge 24 of the lane 12. This preferred embodiment also includes an inner side bumper 25 adjacent an inner side edge-26 of the .lane 11 and an inner side bumper 27 adjacent an inner 'side edge 27 of the lane 12.

A frame 30 lies below the platform 26 and connects rto legs 3-1 which support the device at table level for the convenience of the players. Blocks 32 and 33 are in supporting relationship relative to strips 34 and 35 which support the side bumpers 21 and 23 respectively. Similar'blocks and strips support'the rebound bum-per 15. A- triangular block'36 and a plate 37 support the inner side bumpers 25 and 27. The peripheral boundary member 40 surrounds the ends and sides of the board it and plat form 20 and supports the blocks and strips at the various bumpers at their outer side edges. The peripheral side member 40 is spaced endwise and sidewise from the playing ends 17 and 18 of the lanes 11 and 12 respectively creating drop pockets at the ends and sides of the palyingscoring ends of the lanes so that mis-projected game pieces may move off the board in this area and be collected in the pockets created between the raised lanes, the platform 20, and the peripheral boundary member 40.

The lane 11 extends from its play end 17 to the rebound bumper 15 as defined by the outer side edge 22,

Game pieces 50 are provided and scoring zone lines 51 and 52 and a foul line 53 may be designated on each lane for playing a game.

A player may employ bank shots off the outer 'side bumpers 21 and 23 and the inner side bumpers 25 and 27 singly and in combination with rebound bumper 15. This may enable a player to avoid blocking game pieces deployed by the other player or may add to the accuracy of control.

In'playing a game, two players may each have four game pieces 50 which may have identification letters A and B. The player may project a game piece from the playing end 17' or 18 of alane 11or 12 such as along the axis of lane 11 into the rebound bumper 15 from which it rebounds on the same angulation back on theaxis on the lane 12 in the preferred embodiment. Thus if the player projects his piece along the axis of the lane 11 it will rebound olf the bumper 15 along the axis of the lane 12. Conversely, if he projects the game piece at an angle to the axis of the lane 11, it will rebound off the bumper 15 at an equal angle relative to the axis of the lane 12. In this Way the player may gage his angles and projection of a game piece in one lane and have them be exactly the same on the other lane. This enables him to aim his game piece relative to the playing end' of the opposite lane by simply gaging and aiming his game piece projection on the lane on which he is playing.

Each lane 11 and 12 may have scoring value designations such as 3, 2 and 1 points in the zones separated by the zone lines 51 and 52 inside the foul line 53' and the game may be played according to the rules of shufile board which are Well known.

' By employing angulated lanes and a rebound bumper at equal angles relative to both lanes, the game board playing length is equal to the sum of the lengths of the lanes thereby providing a long playing surface in a'short space. Converging the lanes develops a surface common to both lanes sothat material and space are saved. 7

As play and scoring are at one end of the device, the other end may abut a wall or be located in a corner saving floor space.

As the playing-scoring endsof the device are separated, four players may play at the same time with facility equalto a board twice as long. Moreover, when two people play, the need for moving to the opposite end of a long board is obviated.

The preferred device as disclosed and described is constructed of'van'ous pieces but it is Within the purview of the invention to have one piece constructing such as by'injection molding or vacuum molding with synthetic resins. In this regard auxiliary parts may be deleted such as the legs, frame, etc. and the board placed on the floor or a table.

The novel game board with these features constitutes a compact, durable, and neat appearing amusement device easily made and used and creates a total playing lane length double the length of board itself wherein the axis of each. lane leads into the bumper on equal angles providing aiming and projection facility. 7

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail, it is obvious that various changes may be made in the size, shape, detail,

to a point remote from said play end atsaid rebound end;

said lanes lying on an angle to one another and with their rebound ends converging and merging; both said lanes having the same uniform width from end to end;

and a rebound bumper substantially the same width as the Width of each of said lanes in the common plane of said rebound ends intersecting said lanes at equal opposite angles; said parallel sides of said lanes including remote outer sides angling from said play ends to adjacent ends of said rebound bumpers and adjacent inner sides angling from said play ends and intersecting at a point spaced from said rebound bumper;

said bumper being positioned to intercept a game piece travelling on one said lane of said board projected on a line 'of travel toward said rebound bumper in parallel to said one lane and at angles thereto and to rebound the game piece on the other said lane on a line of travel at the same angulation relative to the other said lane axis as the game piece was initially projected on said one lane,

permitting a player to aim the projection of a game piece in said one lane along'and relative to the axis thereof and rebound it into said other lane as an extension of said one lane with the game piece travelling at equal angles relative to both said lanes;

said lanes having inner side edges lying at an angle relative to one another;

an inner bumper on at least a portion of each said game inner edge for rebounding game pieces relative to said rebound bumper;

said lanes having outer side edges lying at an angle relative to one another;

an outer bumper on at least a portion of each said lane outer edge for reboundinggame pieces therebetween and between said rebound bumper and said inner bumpers singly and in combination,

and a platform below said board outside said bumpers elevating said board so that mis-aimed and misprojected game pieces ride off said board and are collected on said platform.

2. A game table comprising,

a V-shaped board having first and second lanes lying at an angle to one another; both said lanes having the same width uniformly from end to end;

said first lane having a central axis,

said second lane having a central axis,

said first lane having a first play end lying normal to its central axis;

said second lane having a second play end lying normal to its central axis;

said play ends being spaced apart and lying on equal opposite angles;

said axis of said lanes angling from said play ends toward one another and converging at a rebound point remote from said play ends,

a rebound bumper on said board substantially the same width as the width of each of said lanes having op posite ends and a face lying in a plane through said rebound point intersecting said axis of said lanes at equal opposite angles;

said first lane having a long outer side lying parallel to its central axis leading from said first play end to one end of said rebound bumper;

said second lane having a long outer side lying parrallel to its central axis leading from said second play end to the other end of said rebound bumper;

said first lane having a short inner side lying parallel to its central axis leading from said first play end toward said rebound bumper;

said second lane having a short inner side lying parallel to its central axis leading from said second play end toward said rebound bumper;

5 6 said short sides being spaced apart at said play ends bumper without bottleneck restriction and without and angling toward one another and converging at expanding enlargement of the play surface of said a point spaced from said rebound bumper; board, the extended line of said short sides intersecting said P a P y With a P y f as 10118 rebound bumper at its Opposite ends; 5 as said table of accurate geometric proportions.

parallel lines on each said lane leading into said rebound bumper and leading back from said rebound References cued m the file of thls patent bumper into the opposite lane at equal angles; UNITED STATES PATENTS each said lane thereby constituting a continuation of 371,340 McCormick Oct. 11, 1887 the other lane for game pieces rebounding 0E said 10 

1. A GAME TABLE COMPRISING A V-SHAPED PLAY BOARD HAVING CONVERGING FIRST AND SECOND LANES HAVING SEPARATE SPACED PLAY ENDS AND A COMMON MERGED REBOUND END; SAID FIRST LANE HAVING PARALLEL SIDES; SAID FIRST LANE LEADING ON AN AXIS FROM SAID PLAY END TO A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID PLAY END AT SAID REBOUND END, SAID SECOND LANE HAVING PARALLEL SIDES; SAID SECOND LANE LEADING ON AN AXIS FROM SAID PLAY END TO A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID PLAY END AT SAID REBOND END; SAID LANES LYING ON AN ANGLE TO ONE ANOTHER AND WITH THEIR REBOUND ENDS CONVERGING AND MERGING; BOTH SAID LANES HAVING THE SAME UNIFORM WIDTH FROM END TO END; AND A REBOUND BUMPER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME WIDTH AS THE WIDTH OF EACH OF SAID LANES IN THE COMMON PLANE OF SAID REBOUND ENDS INTERSECTING SAID LANES AT EQUAL OPPOSITE ANGLES; SAID PARALLEL SIDES OF SAID LANES INCLUDING REMOTE OUTER SIDES ANGLING FROM SAID PLAY ENDS TO ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID REBOUND BUMPERS AND ADJACENT INNER SIDES ANGLING FROM SAID PLAY ENDS AND INTERSECTING AT A POINT SPACED FROM SAID REBOUND BUMPER; SAID BUMPER BEING POSITIONED TO INTERCEPT A GAME PIECE TRAVELLING ON ONE SAID LANE OF SAID BOARD PROJECTED ON A LINE OF TRAVEL TOWARD SAID REBOUND BUMPER IN PARALLEL TO SAID ONE LANE AND AT ANGLES THERETO AND TO REBOUND THE GAME PIECE ON THE OTHER SAID LANE ON A LINE OF TRAVEL AT THE SAME ANGULATION RELATIVE TO THE OTHER SAID LANE AXIS AS THE GAME PIECE WAS INITIALLY PROJECTED ON SAID ONE LANE, PERMITTING A PLAYER TO AIM THE PROJECTION OF A GAME PIECE IN SAID ONE LANE ALONG AND RELATIVE TO THE AXIS THEREOF AND REBOUND IT INTO SAID OTHER LANE AS AN EXTENSION OF SAID ONE LANE WITH THE GAME PIECE TRAVELLING AT EQUAL ANGLES RELATIVE TO BOTH SAID LANES; SAID LANES HAVING INNER SIDE EDGES LYING AT AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER; AN INNER BUMPER ON AT LEAST A PORTION OF EACH SAID GAME INNER EDGE FOR REBOUNDING GAME PIECES RELATIVE TO SAID REBOUND BUMPER; SAID LANES HAVING OUTER SIDE EDGES LYING AT AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER; AN OUTER BUMPER ON AT LEAST A PORTION OF EACH SAID LANE OUTER EDGE FOR REBOUNDING GAME PIECES THEREBETWEEN AND BETWEEN SAID REBOUND BUMPER AND SAID INNER BUMPERS SINGLY AND IN COMBINATION, AND A PLATFORM BELOW SAID BOARD OUTSIDE SAID BUMPERS ELEVATING SAID BOARD SO THAT MIS-AIMED AND MISPROJECTED GAME PIECES RIDE OFF SAID BOARD AND ARE COLLECTED ON SAID PLATFORM. 